Something I Had To Do
by KateCarter
Summary: Takes place during "Abyss". Daniel told Jack he'd had to do something...what was it? What was happening back at the SGC while Jack was in Baal's clutches?


Something I Had To Do

By Kate O'Riley

Disclaimer: "Stargate" is not mine. This is just a fic where I'm adding in a couple scenes that should have been in the episode.

Season: 6

Episode: "Abyss"

Codes: Very slight S/J

Spoilers: Major, major, major (Carter! J/K) "Abyss" spoilers. Which, in a way, makes it a "Frozen" spoiler too. So, unless you've seen early sixth season, you don't want to read, but you're welcome to cut and paste this onto your computer and save it until such a point that you do see it, and then you want to read it.

A/N: One of two fics I was inspired to write from "Abyss". Spoilers for that ep, don't read unless seen! The other fic is "The Pros and Cons of Ascension"

A/N 2: So, in "Abyss", after Jack had been killed a few times, Daniel appears to him again. Jack comments that he was gone. Daniel says, "I know, there was something I had to do." My question; what? My answer below. This ties in quite nicely to the episode; for those of you with the DVDs or access to them, the brainstorming scene where it ties in together is at the beginning of the fourth chapter, and you'll notice how very nicely it flows! (I'm kind of proud of that!) It also blends very nicely with the kel-no-reem scene!

You know, sometimes being ascended stinks.

Like when one of your best friends is in danger, and you can't help him. You're not powerless, per say, but you can't use the power you have. When you watch your friend die, again, and again, and again, and the only thing you can do is help pick up the pieces mentally afterwards. It's like, like offering a thirsty man a soda; it'll help for a little bit, but it just ends up dehydrating him more.

Unfortunately, one of those little "hidden print" things on the contract I inadvertently signed when I ascended, was "Ye Shall Not Interfere" meaning of course I can't help out my friends. I have never been a violent man…being?…but I would like to step in and take Baal apart, molecule by molecule. However, it's kind of against the rules.

No one ever said, however, that I couldn't comfort my friends when they're in great emotional distress. No one ever said I couldn't plant suggestions.

They just said don't interfere.

And if I'm just planting a suggestion, well, that's not interfering, right? That's…that's giving them an idea. Humans get ideas from all sorts of places, right, so why not?

It's not interfering.

Right?

I'd never seen Sam like this.

She sat in her lab, alone. She was obviously in as great of emotional distress as she'd ever been. Piles of reports lay around her, reports from the Tok'ra of Kanaan's missions. She'd gone through them all; this was the third time around. Nothing jumped out at her. I watched her, unseen, as she glanced around the room until her eyes fell on SG-1's team picture.

It's a yearly tradition at the SGC; take a picture of every SG team. When a new one is formed, take a picture. They've recently begun hanging them on the wall of the commissary – well, before I ascended, it was recent. Sam had always kept the latest one on her desk. This time, she had bought another frame for the one with Jonas and kept last year's, of herself, me, Jack, and Teal'c. I was touched.

Now, her eyes rested on it, and I heard her sigh. "Oh Jack," she murmured, reaching out to touch the photo. "Where are you? What did he do with you?" There was a trace of fear in her voice.

It wasn't interfering to offer a suggestion. Right? I laid a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and whirled around. "Daniel?" Her blue eyes grew wide. She blinked and rubbed them, squinting at me. "Oh, man, I must need sleep worse than I thought," she muttered.

"No, Sam, it's me. I'm really here. Look, I can't interfere, the others, they won't let me, but you can't give up. He hasn't, he's still waiting for you. Keep looking. The answer will come to you. Don't give up." I picked up the file for Kanaan's mission to Baal's fortress and pressed it into her hands. It's not interfering if I gave her a suggestion on where to start, right? "Remember, Jack never left a man behind. Or a woman, for that matter." I smiled encouragingly at her, hoping she'd take my hint. She stared at me in stunned silence for a moment. "But…Daniel…what…why…" she began, barely comprehending.

I glanced around, nervous. The others might track me down and stop me from…offering hints…at any point in time. "Sam, I'm sorry, I can't tell you. But please, please, don't give up!" I said urgently. My point made, I knew it was time to get back to Jack. I had one more errand to run, first.

Jonas didn't see me; that was my choice. I was just planting a thought. As he sat in my old lab, he stared into space, thinking. I leaned into his ear and whispered.

"Colonel O'Neill never leaves a man behind."

His head snapped up and he looked around. "Dr. Jackson?" he asked. I remained silent. After a moment, he shook his head. "That was weird," he said. He looked at the soda he had in his hand. "Maybe Dr. Fraiser was right, too much of this stuff isn't good for you."

Mission done, I left to help Jack.

Good for Sam. I knew she'd figure it out. They had the location; they just needed an idea on how to proceed.

Unfortunately, I hadn't gotten around to General Hammond. He agreed with the high-ranking Tok'ra visiting (I hadn't bothered learning his name) that the fortress was virtually impenetrable. So…another…friendly suggestion…was in order.

Sam and Jonas were both taking much-needed naps. I could suggest it in a dream, but who was to say they wouldn't forget? Nope; my best bet was Teal'c, who sat in his quarters, kel-no-reeming. As he sat meditating, I stepped behind him, invisible to him. I leaned over, and much like I did with Jonas, whispered in his ear. "Just because the fortress is tough to penetrate doesn't mean it's impossible. You just need enough firepower. We don't have enough, but others do, others who would like to get rid of Baal, and they have motherships, motherships big enough to attack him."

Teal'c's eyes flew open. He sat there for a moment musing over this "thought" which had "occurred" to him. He quickly rose and snuffed out the candles, leaving to see General Hammond.

Suggestions had been planted; now to help Jack.

As Jack ran through the woods with Baal's lotar with him, I watched him. I watched as he made it to the Stargate and hastily punched in an address to a Tok'ra world; without a GDO, he couldn't go to Earth. I watched as the Tok'ra took him, healed the worst of his wounds, and carried him back to Earth. I watched as my friends rejoiced over the fact that it had worked. I watched as, unseen, a tear slipped down Sam's face, and I listened as she whispered, "Thank you, Daniel."

And, unseen, I gave her a gentle hug and whispered in her ear, "I'm with Jack on this one…I'll never leave any of you behind."

The End

A/N 3: The last line was entirely platonic! I realized as I wrote it that it could be slightly construed as Sam/Daniel, but it IS NOT. Unfortunately, it's one of those lines that refuses to rewrite itself.

Reviews appreciated. But I'll warn you, flames are used to power enemy Jaffa staff weapons and will be promptly recycled into big-time character whumpin', so if YOU want to be responsible for your favorite character getting hurt, and possibly slightly emotionally scarred…


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